Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was cultivated over 2,000 years ago in Iran. Cultivation of spinach began during the Greek and Roman civilizations. Our name for spinach is derived from the Persian ward "ispanai" which mean "green hand" which later became "spanachia"(Late Latin), to spinach and spinach and spinage(English). In 647 A.D. spinach was introduced into China and was then transported to Spain in 1100. The prickly seeded form was known in Germany in the 13th century and the smooth seeded form was not described until 1552. It is the smooth seeded form that is used today in commercial production. By 1806, spinach had become a popular vegetable and was listed in American seed catalogs. In the 1920â€™s the U.S. pushed spinach commercially, with Popeye the Sailorman cartoon being a great advocate in spinach consumption.

Spinach contains large amounts of minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium. Spinach also has high levels of protein.
Ninety-one percent of spinach weight is water. A serving of spinach contains 3.2 grams of protein, 4.3 grams of carbohydrates, and 0.3 grams of fat. It also contains Vitamin A, and C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, and potassium are also found in spinach greens.

Storing and Cooking

Store in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for 3 - 7 days.

Spinach is used as a leafy green and eaten raw in salads. It is also used as a cooked green (potherb) much like turnip greens or collard greens. Cooking spinach causes for a more acidic flavor, hence many recipes will call for butter or cream added to the recipe to counteract the spinach flavor. Spinach may be steamed, sauteed or braised. Please note that when cooked, spinach will shrink by 90%!

Did you know?

The wealthiest fifth of the world's people consume 86% of all goods and services, while the poorest fifth consumes one percent. ~United Nations, 2002

Quotes

"There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third is by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry."
~Benjamin Franklin

CSA 2010 is closed

Don't Forget to Read Farm Notes on the Center Page for updates

Here's a sample box from October!

Celery

Celeriac

Onions

Carrots

Beets

Cabbage

Winter Squash

Black Beans

CSA 2011 is not yet open

Where We Are

Spring is Coming!
Thursdays are open for visitation. We are packing seed orders and chatting it up with friends and family. In addition to eggs and seeds, there are also dry beans and some root stocks floating around and available.
The home farm is located at 10145 Oxford Rd. We hope to see you soon!

303-485-7818

info@eatabbo.org

Boulder Farmers Market re-opens Saturdays on April 2 from 8-2 and Wednesdays on May 4 from 4-8

This year we will also have seeds at the Longmont Farmer's Market for the first 6 markets.